Keira had retreated behind her partner, hiding from Liz’s potential wrath. For his own part, Frank stared at Liz. “Mum?” he said. “Mum? What?”

To Ellie’s unease, Liz picked up the shotgun and began cleaning it again. Her face was ashen, and there was a tremor in her hands. “It’s your brother,” she said at last.

Frank looked around the kitchen, then at Ellie. “Tony?”

The Harpers were all staring at her now. The baby whimpered, batting at the air with its cleft hand; Jess whispered to it, and Dom muttered to the dog. Paul Harper stopped picking his nails, and held the knife flat against his thigh.

Frank flexed his meaty hands, knuckle tattoos writhing. “What you done with our Tony?”

Ellie looked to Liz, but she said nothing – just continued to clean the shotgun, her face empty and slack. Thanks a bunch, you old sow. “We found a body earlier this afternoon,” Ellie said. “The coppice outside your boundary wall, by the hill road?” Frank gave a reluctant nod. “Yeah. There. It was your Tony.”

“No,” said Frank.

Ellie thought of showing the picture of the body from her phone, but felt that would have been too brutal. Instead she took out the driving licence and NI card in their evidence bags. Frank took one in each hand and held them close to his face, staring.

“Frank?” said Keira.

“They’re Tony’s,” he said. He made to put them in his pocket, but Ellie held her hand up. “Need ’em back for now, Frank. They’re evidence.”

“They’re our family’s.”

“You want whoever did this caught?”

She knew at once it’d been the wrong thing to say; once again they were all staring, and Liz snapped the shotgun’s barrels shut with a clack.

“Who did it?” demanded Frank.

“Shut up, Frank.” Liz banged the shotgun down and leant forward. “You told us he got stuck outside and froze.”

“I –”

“She’s a liar, Mum,” Paul had a thin nasal voice, like a perpetual whine. “All coppers are liars, you know that.”

“He froze,” said Ellie, “but –”

“Shut the fuck up, Cuntstubble,” Keira said. “Fucking liar.”

“Needs teaching a lesson, this one,” Paul smirked at Ellie. Loose wet lips. Really? Ellie thought, and put a hand on her baton.

“Paul,” said Liz, eyes closed, voice hardening. “Keira.” She opened her eyes again, staring at Ellie. “Talk.”

“Looks like he froze to death outside,” Ellie said. “But there’s some circumstances –”

“What circumstances?”

“He had his knife out, for a start.” Ellie nodded at Paul’s. “One of those.”

“Tony never pulled a knife on anybody,” said Keira, “you lying c –”

“Keira,” said Liz. She was quiet. Restrained; determined to keep control. “Change the fucking record.”